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I am in contact with the Senator's staff about these conflicts of interestSubmitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 08/02/2010 - 18:48.
 Mattie Reitman with the Sierra Club just forwarded me his communications with the Chairman of Medical Center Company, Robert Brown - who is Treasurer of Case.... and Senator Sherrod Brown's brother... the PD's Connie Schultz' Brother-in-Law... major regional coal-burner and source-point polluter. Through Brown's leadership MCCO operates a secretive coal burning, polluting steam plant for University Circle in my backyard, causing 1,000s of tons of pollution a year in my backyard, harming us each and every day... which I am fighting with the Sierra Club to shut-down. Sherrod Brown has proven to be a pro-coal Senator. The PD basically denies global warming exists, loves coal, and ignores the issue of environmental injustice entirely. I am in contact with the Senator's staff about these conflicts of interest, as I am dealing with his brother's pollution, I don't like that my Senator is pro-coal, I don't like that his wife's monopoly newspaper ignores pollution. As you will see below, Mattie politely asked Robert Brown to arrange for better communications between MCCO and neighbors like myself, including "putting energy into something like" forums on moving MCCO off coal... and Brown said no. The Senator's brother responded acknowledging "Medical Center Company’s governing board has made a decision to move away from coal", that their "decisions affect our community"... "we expect at some point to use some sort of public forum both to inform our neighbors and to seek their views"... and "I don’t think public meetings would be useful now, either for the public or for MCCo". They claim "We are now so early in the planning process, however, and our thinking is so inchoate"... yet they will "move away from coal"... trust them. Not likely. Brown worked at Jones Day... and on the Healthline... Opportunity Corridor... ODOT funding... see bio from Case linked here and below... this Jones Day babble means nothing more than MCCO intends to game every possible system to burn cheap coal dirty as long as possible to pollute my family and my neighbors for at least another 5 years as always, and they don't intend to inform us or talk to us about anything until it is too late for citizens to protect their health, literally killing us with contempt, as always... just like today. I would think Case would hire leadership with more compassion - I would think the Senator's brother would have more class. I intend to seek Robert Brown's resignation from the position of Chairman of MCCO for contempt of those he pollutes. I am the expert on that fact, as my family members are all his direct victims. Read on, and wonder what the hell the leaders of Case are smoking, besides coal fumes?!?! Do they really not care at all?!?!
To: Norm Roulet <norm [dot] roulet [at] gmail [dot] com>
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Brown <rcb26 [at] case [dot] edu> Date: Thu, Jul 29, 2010 at 4:41 PM Subject: RE: MCC community dialogues To: "Reitman, Mattie" <mattie [dot] reitman [at] sierraclub [dot] org> Cc: Chris Ronayne <CRonayne [at] universitycircle [dot] org>, Mike Heise <mike [at] mcco [dot] org> Dear Mattie,
Thank you for your note. I’m sorry to be slow to respond, but your message arrived while I was on vacation.
You are correct that the Medical Center Company’s governing board has made a decision to move away from coal – I hope that is the kind of “popular decision” your message refers to! The coal decision is only one element of a much broader strategic planning exercise MCCo is now engaged in, which will consider siting, growth expectations, conservation and demand-side management, alternatives, etc. Many of those decisions affect our community, and we expect at some point to use some sort of public forum both to inform our neighbors and to seek their views. We are now so early in the planning process, however, and our thinking is so inchoate, that I don’t think public meetings would be useful now, either for the public or for MCCo.
As you mention that you also discussed this idea with Chris Ronayne, I’ve copied him on my message. I’ve also copied MCCo’s president, Mike Heise.
Bob Brown Chairman, Medical Center Company
Robert Clarke Brown Treasurer Case Western Reserve University 216-368-4306 216-368-8690--fax Robert [dot] C [dot] Brown [at] case [dot] edu
From: mattie [dot] reitman [at] apps [dot] sierraclub [dot] org [mailto:mattie [dot] reitman [at] apps [dot] sierraclub [dot] org] On Behalf Of Reitman, Mattie
Hi Bob, this is Mattie from the Sierra Club, I just left you a voicemail promising this message.
I've been engaging various stakeholders of the Medical Center Company steam plant and any proposed new facilities to replace the current one, including folks at Case and UH, the MCC itself, UCI, neighborhood residents, and young people. There seems to be a lot of common interest amongst all parties, but they're not necessarily communicating directly with each other. With plans for a new plant shifting away from coal and towards other options, this seems to me like an excellent opportunity to change that.
As you likely know, there is a public hearing on the renewal of the existing plant's operating permit coming up on August 10th. Simply put, I'd like to have a couple public forums set up by the 10th, so that we can capture any interest and momentum at the hearing and keep it rolling. There would need to be some level of authentic dialogue and community ownership, not just a presentation. I would be happy to help with planning and outreach, but don't know the local scene nearly as well as someone like yourself. Would you be interested in putting energy into something like this? I get the sense that MCC is well poised to make some popular decisions, but sustainability is nothing without good communication! Chris Ronayne likes the idea - feel free to bounce ideas off him or me, and Iook forward to hearing from you soon.
-thanks for your time, m!-
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MCCO Pollutes Neighborhood
Did You Know? A Coal-Burning Power Plant is Polluting Our Neighborhood and Endangering Our Health
Concerned? Speak Up!
What: Public Hearing on the Medican Center Company's request to renew their power plant operating permit
When: Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 4:30-6:30 PM
Where: MLK Branch, Cleveland Public Library, 1962 Stokes Blvd (west of CWRU off Euclid)
Who: The EPA, you, and all your neighbors!
Why: Make your voice heard - we can move beyond coal and protect our families and property
GET INVOLVED!
The Medical Center Company Steam Plant: Powers University Circle
- Runs a coal-burning power plant built in 1932
- Provides Steam to Local Non-Profits, including:
University Hospitals, Case Western, Cleveland Museum of Art, Church of the Covenant, Musical Arts Association, Cleveland Botanical Garden,Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, Cleveland Medical Library Association, Cleveland Institute of Art, & Severance Hall
- Has access to leading research and technology
The Medical Center Company Steam Plant: Pollutes Our Community
- Operates near houses, schools, and hospitals in an already polluted area
- Causes asthma, heart disease, mercury contamination, and premature death, and is especially damaging to kids and the elderly
- Pollutes our air with 5,000 tons of SO2, NOx, CO, and particulate matter each year
- Lowers our property values
Help create clean energy solutions!
Attend the hearing August 10
Sign up online - sierraclub.org/coal/oh
Disrupt IT
"the EPA should consider manufacturing competitiveness and jobs"
Environmental Defense Fund commercial
An arm of the Environmental Defense Fund ran this commercial (see above) in Columbus in 2008 that says "Big Oil is using some of its record profits to lobby Sen. Sherrod Brown to turn his back on Ohio's environment."
The commercial concludes, "We sent Sherrod Brown to Washington to help turn around Ohio. Tell him to stand up to Big Oil and stand up for Ohio's future."
We've all seen how big oil has worked out for the world... what about big coal, Senator Brown?
Disrupt IT
Who seconds Barbara Snyder as Chairwoman of coal burning MCCO?
Women give life so I want a woman killing my children, and I expect the President of Case, Barbara Snyder, to replace Brown for the remainder of his term as MCCO Chairman (the job rotates between executives at Case and University Hospitals).
OSU, where Snyder used to work, doesn't burn coal... I wonder if she is regretting leaving...?!?!
Who seconds Barbara Snyder as Chairwoman of coal burning MCCO?
Disrupt IT
My formal nomination to Ms. Snyder
My wife and I are neighbors of Case and close stakeholders. We are
therefore fighting your coal burning MCCO powerplant to its end.
On realNEO.us I have demanded the resignation of the current MCCO
Chairman Robert Brown from his position of that authority, due to his
contempt for neighbors. I believe someone from Case should complete
his term, and we would prefer a woman - someone with some distance
from the polluting establishment - someone with a chance of being
progressive - you.
http://realneo.us/content/i-am-contact-senators-staff-about-these-conflicts-interest#comment-25024
If you are not familiar with the issues regarding MCCO and our
community, please contact Mattie Reitman of the Sierra Club, copied
here with my wife, and he will be pleased to put energy into meeting
your needs.
Please don't hesitate to contact me to discuss this, and I wish you well.
--
Norm Roulet
ICEarth
216-688-5221
Disrupt IT
Disrupt IT
I second
I second your nomination for Ms. Synder--and I am curious to learn more about how Ohio State powers their campus.
As I understand it, OSU's
As I understand it, OSU's McCracken power plant heats the campus with gas and oil, depending on which is cheaper at any given time. They used to switch between a gas-oil-coal mix, but a few years ago cut out coal.
For the record
For the record, I don't necessarily disagree with Brown's opinion that it is too early to hold public forums on this issue. That said, of course it's never too early to seek input and get the right people together to start planning them. I'm hoping to get more of a commitment on the timeline of this process.
I'm planning on moving from the area
That's easy for you to say... you don't live here.
I'm planning on moving from the area until they get real, and I suggest others follow.
I know they are just lying to me.
Disrupt IT
MCCO - proposed EC coal plant location now solar array site
I have archived this at Wayback machine: http://engineering.case.edu/centers/sdle/LakeviewSolarPP - this solar array is along the rail line that also runs east and borders the Arco "recycling" site on Noble Rd.
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